Little girl receives the gift of hearing thanks to Ear Community

Lyla B. is ten months old and was born with Microtia and Atresia of her left ear. There was concern about Lyla’s hearing after she failed multiple newborn hearing screenings and was misdiagnosed with having fluid in her ears.

Nakita, Lyla’s mother, noticed her daughter was not responding quickly to sounds and later learned Lyla did not have an ear canal.

After finding out Lyla didn’t have an ear canal, her parents took her to an audiologist to learn about her options. On their hunt for more information, Lyla’s audiologist had her test out the Cochlear™ Baha® 5 Sound Processor on a softband, a bone conduction hearing device.

During the trial period her parents noticed a great improvement. Nakita explained her daughter started reacting faster to sounds and even localizing sounds.

After a successful trial period, the family was eager to get the Baha 5 for Lyla. Unfortunately the family was not able to obtain the device through insurance. Through Cochlear’s partnership with Ear Community, a non-profit organization that supports children with hearing loss, Lyla received a donation of the Baha 5 Sound Processor on a softband and her device was fitted on June 21.

Melissa Tumblin, founder of the Ear Community Organization, was present at Lyla’s activation and described the experience as very rewarding.

Lyla’s family is thrilled Lyla was able to receive her Baha 5 so early during her critical language and speech development years.

Cochlear is a proud sponsor of Ear Community, a nonprofit organization that provides support to the Microtia and Atresia community worldwide. Watch Lyla’s activation below and how quickly she responded to Melissa’s voice!

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Views expressed by Cochlear recipients and hearing health providers are those of the individual. Consult your hearing health provider to determine if you are a candidate for Cochlear™ technology. Outcomes and results may vary.